What are the best gangster movies?

For me 'Donnie Brasco' is the best of the mafia style movies.

Great performances by Depp and especially pacino as a rather tatty and slightly sad washed up hoodlum.

'Forgettaboutit'

Goodfellas

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:
For me 'Donnie Brasco' is the best of the mafia style movies.

Great performances by Depp and especially pacino as a rather tatty and slightly sad washed up hoodlum.

'Forgettaboutit'

Yes - I saw that movie a few years ago and would agree with these comments.

The Untouchables, A History of Violence, Casino, Eastern Promises. Thats the best I can come up with after a night shift!

Dave

Another movie to consider is "Hoodlum" (1997) starring Laurence Fishburne, which was based on a historical conflict between rival New York gangs in the 1920s and 1930s. It actually deals with the events preceding those covered by the 2007 movie "American Gangster". The mentor of Denzil Washington's character in the latter movie is played by Fishburne in the earlier film.

Point Blank, Goodfellas, Get Carter and Touchez pas au grisbi.

Grosse Pointe Blank and Leon - if you allow professional killers.

You could try this for change from western gangster movies!

Style is everything....

Miller's Crossing
Bugsy

I'm not a big fan of gangster movies when they glorify the thug life (i.e. Goodfellas) but the following movies seem to strike the right balance between choice and consequence:

Miller's Crossing
Godfather I & II
Donnie Brasco
Scarface
A Better Tomorrow II

Most of the above, plus Ronin

Essex Boys
Boondock Saints
Ronin- not gangsters, but what the hey.
Eastern Promises
Business #1
Rock-n-Rolla
Killing Zoe
Fargo
Doomsday
Gamorra

Maybe this will be added to the list?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/...cenemies/medium.html

Point Blank with Lee Marvin - simple, stylish and direct.

On the other end of the spectrum, Some Like it Hot - funny gangster flick of a sorts.

Burn after reading
Good fellas
Snatch
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
No country for old men
The big Lebowski - yeah, not really "gangster"...
Lucky Number Slevin
Bandits (Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton)
...

Last night on Turner movies I saw an interview with William Wellman, sure was a wild old cuss. Started directing in silent era and he wanted LOTS of action. He wanted to do Public Enemy and the studio turned him down because they'd just done one, but he said he'd top that, and did. Early on he switched the main characters because James Cagney just ate up the screen. It made both of their careers take off.

In fact he made many iconic movies, if you want to see them try going thru in order. Especially the first A Star I Born and the most intense western The Oxbow Incident with Henry Fonda. boy is that depressing but good message. He was turned down by every studio till he went to a producer he didn't like working with in the past who said to go ahead and make it. It was a big hit.

quote:

Originally posted by mudwolf:
Last night on Turner ....

and Performance.

Wellman made lots of caustic remarks about movies in the interview but one thing struck me. "You'll notice there are not a lot of close up shots in my pictures, because they are over used. I take in the whole setting and then POW the closeup gives it that punch."

So many movies now are all closeups you really don't know what's going on around the actor.

C'mon, nobody's mentioned Layer Cake yet...

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Abela:
C'mon, nobody's mentioned Layer Cake yet...

That's because it was boring.

There are some great recommendations in this thread, and I love the general crime drama, gangsters especially. De Niro is the king as far as I am concerned. And when I think of gangster, I am not just thinking about guys in fedoras with tommmy guns and getaway cars, but also crime oriented gangs, which can take on a pretty broad description. Some of my favorites that i dont think have been mentioned (since you asked)

1. John Woo has a string of gangster/hit man movies that have incredibly choreographed gun battles that set a major trend for dudes like Tarantino and Michael Mann. I was thinking of titles like "A Better Tommorrow" "The Killer" and "Hard Boiled"

2.From Asia I also like Japanese gangster-ish films like "Sonatine" and "Boiling Point" from Beat Takeshi.

3. I am big fan of Christopher Walken as bad ass, and one of the best for me was "King of New York"

4. And for a different take, how about "Gangs of New York" with Daniel Day Lewis, Liam Neeson, Leonardo diCaprio. The spectacle of the street battles in snowy grimy New York was worth the price of admission.

5. And to Los Angeles for "Colors" and "Menace II Society" and "American Me" and "American History X"

6. I am not sure if this counts as a gangster film, but I loved this little film called "The Krays" about malevolent twin brother criminals who made up a two man gang of their own.

7. And I agree with munchy on Snatch and Lock Stock. LOVE IT. I would add "Layer Cake" and "RocknRolla" as well. I can't get enough of that. I might even add "The Transporter" which is maybe a bit of a stretch, but a fun movie all the same.

quote:

Originally posted by John M:
6. I am not sure if this counts as a gangster film, but I loved this little film called "The Krays" about malevolent twin brother criminals who made up a two man gang of their own.

Hey, easy tiger - they are the best gangsters us Brits have got !

Respect (or we'll send the boys round to kneecap you).

Not sure what they would have made of the Russians running around London town these days - a theme shown hilariously in RocknRolla of course...!

Bronx Warriors.
Beat Street.

quote:

Originally posted by SC:

quote:

Originally posted by John M:
6. I am not sure if this counts as a gangster film, but I loved this little film called "The Krays" about malevolent twin brother criminals who made up a two man gang of their own.

Hey, easy tiger - they are the best gangsters us Brits have got !

Respect (or we'll send the boys round to kneecap you).

Not sure what they would have made of the Russians running around London town these days - a theme shown hilariously in RocknRolla of course...!

My point exactly! Loved them both!

With respect

JM

Bob Le Flambeur and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill

Not GoodFellas but worth watching;

HEAT - its got both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino with one of the best realistic street shoot outs I've seen.

USUAL SUSPECTS